Stem Hophal¶
Summary¶
The Hophal stem is the passive form of the Hiphil, and it generally expresses the passive voice of the meaning of a verb in the Hiphil stem.
Article¶
The Hophal stem is the passive form of the Hiphil stem formation in Biblical Hebrew. The Hophal stem is usually indicated by either a הָ or הֻ prefix to the Verb. (The ה changes in the participle and Imperfect forms.) The Hophal stem usually expresses the passive voice of the meaning of a verb in the Hiphil stem. Scholars sometimes disagree whether certain verb forms should be classified as belonging to the Hophal, the Pual or even the Qal Passive stem. In English, passive voice is expressed using the helping verb “to be.” In Biblical Hebrew, the passive nature of the verbal action is expressed by the Hophal form of the verb itself without any helping verbs.
Note
It is recommended to always check a dictionary or lexicon for the meaning of a specific verb, because this stem may express many different kinds of action in different contexts.
Form¶
Paradigm¶
Note
every form in the Hophal can have either a qamets hatuf or a qibbuts under the first letter (so הָ or הֻ). Here the qamets hatuf is used throughout.
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
הָקְטַל |
hoqtal |
he was caused to kill |
feminine singular third person |
הָקְטְלָה |
hoqtelah |
she was caused to kill |
masculine singular second person |
הָקְטַלְתָּ |
hoqtalta |
you were caused to kill |
feminine singular second person |
הָקְטַלְתְּ |
hoqtalt |
you were caused to kill |
common singular first person |
הָקְטַלְתִּי |
hoqtalti |
I was caused to kill |
common plural third person |
הָקְטְלוּ |
hoqtelu |
they were caused to kill |
masculine plural second person |
הָקְטַלְתֶּם |
hoqtaltem |
you were caused to kill |
feminine plural second person |
הָקְטַלְתֶּן |
hoqtalten |
you were caused to kill |
common plural first person |
הָקְטַלְנוּ |
hoqtalnu |
we were caused to kill |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יָקְטַל |
yoqtal |
he will be caused to kill |
feminine singular third person |
תָּקְטַל |
toqtal |
she will be caused to kill |
masculine singular second person |
תָּקְטַל |
toqtal |
you will be caused to kill |
feminine singular second person |
תָּקְטְלִי |
toqteli |
you will be caused to kill |
common singular first person |
אָקְטַל |
‘oqtal |
I will be caused to kill |
masculine plural third person |
יָקְטְלוּ |
yoqtelu |
they will be caused to kill |
feminine plural third person |
תָּקְטַלְנָה |
toqtalnah |
they will be caused to kill |
masculine plural second person |
תָּקְטְלוּ |
toqtelu |
you will be caused to kill |
feminine plural second person |
תָּקְטַלְנָה |
toqtalnah |
you will be caused to kill |
common plural first person |
נָקְטַל |
noqtal |
we will be caused to kill |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
וְהָקְטַל |
wehoqtal |
(and) he will be caused to kill |
feminine singular third person |
וְהָקְטְלָה |
wehoqtelah |
(and) she will be caused to kill |
masculine singular second person |
וְהָקְטַלְתָּ |
wehoqtalta |
(and) you will be caused to kill |
feminine singular second person |
וְהָקְטַלְתְּ |
wehoqtalt |
(and) you will be caused to kill |
common singular first person |
וְהָקְטַלְתִּי |
wehoqtalti |
(and) I will be caused to kill |
common plural third person |
וְהָקְטְלוּ |
wehoqtelu |
(and) they will be caused to kill |
masculine plural second person |
וְהָקְטַלְתֶּם |
wehoqtaltem |
(and) you will be caused to kill |
feminine plural second person |
וְהָקְטַלְתֶּן |
wehoqtalten |
(and) you will be caused to kill |
common plural first person |
וְהָקְטַלְנוּ |
wehoqtalnu |
(and) we will be caused to kill |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
וַיָּקְטַל |
wayyoqtal |
(and) he was caused to kill |
feminine singular third person |
וַתָּקְטַל |
wattoqtal |
(and) whe was caused to kill |
masculine singular second person |
וַתָּקְטַל |
wattoqtal |
(and) you were caused to kill |
feminine singular second person |
וַתָּקְטְלִי |
wattoqteli |
(and) you were caused to kill |
common singular first person |
וָאָקְטַל |
wa’oqtal |
(and) I was caused to kill |
masculine plural third person |
וַיָּקְטְלוּ |
wayyoqtelu |
(and) they were caused to kill |
feminine plural third person |
וַתָּקְטַלְנָה |
wattoqtalnah |
(and) they were caused to kill |
masculine plural second person |
וַתָּקְטְלוּ |
wattoqtelu |
(and) you were caused to kill |
feminine plural second person |
וַתָּקְטַלְנָה |
wattoqtalnah |
(and) you were caused to kill |
common plural first person |
וַנָּקְטַל |
wannoqtal |
(and) we were caused to kill |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
Infinitive Absolute |
הָקְטֵל |
hoqtel |
causing to be killed |
The infinitive construct, imperative, jussive, and cohortative are not found in the Hophal stem in Biblical Hebrew.
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
masculine singular |
מָקְטָל |
moqtal |
being caused to kill |
feminine singular |
מָקְטֶלֶת |
moqteleth |
being caused to kill |
masculine plural |
טָמָקְלִים |
tomaqlim |
being caused to kill |
feminine plural |
מָקְטָלוֹת |
moqtaloth |
being caused to kill |
Function¶
The Hophal stem can express any of the following kinds of verbal action:
Expresses the passive voice of the Hiphil stem¶
For most verbs that appear in Hiphil stem in Biblical Hebrew, the Hophal stem expresses the same kind of simple or causative action as the Hiphil stem, but in passive voice. A good example is the verb בּוֹא. In the Qal stem, the verb בּוֹא means “to come” or “to go” (:ref:simple<stem-action-simple>` action, active voice). But in the Hiphil stem, the verb בּוֹא means “to bring” (causative action, active voice). Thus, in the Hophal stem, the verb בּוֹא means “to be brought” (causative action, passive voice).
The Hophal stem of בּוֹא, meaning “to be brought”; in the Hiphil stem, means “to bring”, for example:
קַח־נָ֤א אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻבָ֣את לָ֔ךְ |
qah-na ‘eth-birkhathiy ‘asher huvath lakh |
Take_please [dir.obj]_my-blessing that it-was-brought to-you |
Please accept my gift that was brought to you |
The Hophal stem of נָגַד, meaning “to be declared”; in the Hiphil stem, means “to declare”, for example:
וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם |
wayyuggad le’avraham |
and-it-was-reported to Abraham |
Abraham was told |
Expresses simple action in passive voice¶
Some verbs use the Hophal stem to express simple passive action. (This can be true even if the verb also appears in the Hiphil stem in Biblical Hebrew; in such cases, the Hophal form does NOT function strictly as a passive of the Hiphil stem.) A good example is the verb יָצַק. In the Qal stem, the verb יָצַק expresses the simple action “to pour” or “to pour out”. In the Hiphil stem, the verb יָצַק expresses the same simple action “to pour”. In the Hophal stem, the verb יָצַק expresses the simple passive “to be poured” (that is, the passive of both the Qal stem and the Hiphil stem). For some verbs, the Hophal and/or Pual forms can both function as a passive of the Qal stem. In all these cases, a dictionary or lexicon will indicate the correct meaning.
ה֣וּצַק חֵ֭ן בְּשְׂפְתוֹתֶ֑יךָ |
hutsaq hen besfethotheykha |
it-is-poured-out grace by-your-lips |
grace is poured onto your lips |
Expresses various kinds of passive or stative action¶
Sometimes the Hophal form is used with specific verbs or in specific contexts to express a specialized meaning for the verbal action. A dictionary or lexicon will indicate the correct meaning.
For example, the Hophal stem of the verb יָלַד (“to give birth”) refers to someone’s birthday:
וַיְהִ֣י׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י י֚וֹם הֻלֶּ֣דֶת אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה |
wayhi bayyom hashelishi yom hulledeth ‘eth-par’oh |
|
It came about on the third day that it was Pharaoh’s birthday. |
The Hophal stem of the verb יָסַד (“to found, establish”) refers to the foundation of a building:
וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הוּסַ֣ד שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה לִבְנ֖וֹת אֶת־בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים |
we’elleh husad shelomoh livnoth ‘eth-beth ha’elohim |
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